This invention relates to apparatus for connecting coaxial cable signals from a source or provider thereof to a receiver thereof, such as for example, apparatus for connecting incoming cable television signals to a television set which television set, for example may be the television set of a telephone company subscriber or customer, and which apparatus also may be used for connecting incoming telephone company wiring or lines to telephone subscriber or customer premises wiring or lines.
As used hereinafter and in the appended claims, the term "coaxial cable signals" means any data, voice or video signal, such as for example and not by way of limitation, cable television signals, telephone signals, telegraph signals, video signals, and the like, capable of being carried or transmitted over a coaxial cable.
Numerous telephone network interface apparatus are known to the art for being mounted at a multiple dwelling such as an apartment house or condominium and which telephone network interface apparatus are for connecting one or more incoming telephone lines, typically a plurality of incoming telephone lines, to one or more telephone subscriber's or customer's telephones located at various apartments or condominiums comprising the multiple dwelling. Also known to the art are telephone network interface apparatus including one or more individual subscriber line modules, typically a plurality of such modules, with each individual subscriber line module for connecting one incoming telephone company line to one of the telephone customer's telephones. Such individual subscriber line modules, as known to the art, provide a demarcation point between a telephone subscriber's or customer's line and an incoming telephone line to facilitate the determination of whether a fault exists on the telephone customer or subscriber's line or the incoming telephone company line; this demarcation point is referred to hereinafter and in the appended claims as a telephone demarcation point. Such telephone network interface apparatus and the individual subscriber line modules, as is also known to the art, are typically located in a common area, such as the basement of the apartment house or condominium, whereby a telephone repairman can make a ready determination of whether or not such fault exists on the telephone subscriber's line or the incoming telephone line whether the telephone subscriber or customer is home or not; such individual subscriber line module also permits the telephone customer or subscriber to make the determination of whether a fault exists on the telephone customer or subscriber's line or the incoming telephone company line. Examples of such telephone network interface apparatus and individual subscriber line modules are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,559, patented Jul. 31, 1990, entitled TELEPHONE NETWORK INTERFACE APPARATUS, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,209, patented Dec. 18, 1990, entitled INDIVIDUAL SUBSCRIBER LINE MODULE; Thomas J. Collins et al. are inventors of both patents and both patents are assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. These patents are incorporated herein by reference as if fully reproduced herein and U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,209 is referred to hereinafter as the "'209 patent."
With regard to one example of the coaxial cable signals defined above, cable television signals are typically transmitted to a multiple dwelling over an optical fiber line which terminates at an optical network unit typically located curbside to the above-noted multiple dwelling. Typically a plurality of coaxial cables run from the optical network unit to the above-noted individual apartments or condominiums to connect the incoming cable television signals directly, or through a cable television channel selector, to the individual television sets of the cable television customers residing in the apartments or condominiums. Should one of such television sets fail to provide a television picture and audio signals or sound, a question arises in the mind of the television customer as to whether the television set is not working, i.e. whether the television set itself is functioning, or whether cable television signals are not being received by the set. The television customer typically calls the cable television company and reports the failure and then arrangements must be made to coordinate the time at which a cable television repairman can come to the television customer's apartment or condominium with the time at which the television customer is home. This is particularly difficult due to the fact that cable television repairmen typically work 8:00 or 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and television customers, including husbands and wives, typically also work 8:00 or 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Accordingly, and with further regard to the cable television signals example, there exists a need in the art for apparatus for interconnecting a television customer's television set to incoming cable television signals which provides a cable television signal demarcation point between such television set and the source of such cable television signals to permit a cable television repairman to make a reasonable determination as to whether or not the failure of the television set to provide a television picture and sound is due to the television set not working or the failure to receive incoming cable television signals, and to permit such cable television repairman to make such determination while the television customer is not present at the apartment or condominium; this demarcation point is referred to hereinafter and in the appended claims as the coaxial cable demarcation point. Thus, it will be further understood, more broadly, there exists a need in the art for apparatus for interconnecting incoming coaxial cable signals to a receiver of such signals and for providing the coaxial cable demarcation point between the receiver and the source of such signals to permit service personnel associated with the provider of the signals, such as the noted cable television repairman, to make a reasonable determination as to whether or not the failure of the receiver to respond to such signals is due to the failure of the receiver of such receiver itself to function or the failure of the receiver to receive the incoming coaxial cable signals from the provider.
There also exists a need in the art for apparatus providing a coaxial cable demarcation point which permits the customer or customer service personnel associated with the receiver of the coaxial cable signals to make a reasonable determination as to whether or not the failure of the receiver to respond to the signals is due to the failure of the receiver to function itself or is due to the failure of the receiver to receive the incoming coaxial cable signals. By way of further example with regard to cable television signals, there exists a need in the art for cable television network interface apparatus providing such coaxial cable demarcation point and which permits the television customer to make a reasonable determination as to whether or not the failure of the television set to provide a television picture and sound is due to the television set not working or the failure to receive incoming cable television signals. If the determination indicates that the failure is due to the customer's television set not working, the customer has the television set repaired or replaced and avoids a service call from the cable television repairman and its needless attendant cost.
There further exists a need in the art for combination apparatus for connecting one or more incoming telephone company lines to one or more telephone subscribers' or customers' lines and for providing the telephone demarcation points therebetween, and for connecting coaxial cable signals from a source or provider thereof to a receiver thereof, and for providing the coaxial cable signal demarcation point therebetween.